When you hear about the many dire effects of human-caused climate change — rising seas, boiling summers, intensifying natural disasters — it’s normal to think, “What can I do to help?”
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One answer you often hear is to lower your personal “carbon footprint.” But what exactly is a carbon footprint, how do you measure it and what impact does it have?
Experts say that totaling up all of the carbon emissions associated with your everyday life can be a useful way to understand your contribution to global warming, and prioritize changes that can reduce it. But there are also limitations to how much an individual can do. Any talk of carbon footprints should center on the countries, industries and corporations that account for most of the carbon emissions, which largely come from burning fossil fuels. And according to some, personal carbon footprints are just a distraction from much more effective climate action people can take.
So here’s what you need to know about carbon footprints, and how they might be relevant to your life.
What is a carbon footprint?
“A carbon footprint is really the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a defined activity,” said Philippe Pernstich, the founding footprinting lead at Minimum, a carbon accounting firm.
Apply that to your everyday life, and a carbon footprint includes the emissions generated from your home (think heating and electricity), your transportation (including cars, transit and airplanes), the food you consume and the products you buy.
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Measuring a carbon footprint is useful for people “really to get a sense within those broad categories, where do they have the biggest impact, and within each category, how do their potential choices affect the carbon footprint?” Pernstich said. For example, choosing to take fewer flights, or turning down your home thermostat, could shrink your carbon footprint.
But individuals’ carbon footprints can’t compare to those of companies, industries and entire countries, which are also measuring and, in some cases, trying to reduce their impacts. The top three emitters worldwide are China, the US and the EU. Per capita, the US and Russia have the highest greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
How do I calculate my carbon footprint?
Don’t worry. You won’t need to break out a notebook or calculator here. The easiest way to calculate your carbon footprint is using an online tool.
“There are some really easy ones, they’ll ask you 10 questions maybe, and give you a broad indication,” Pernstich said.